Lockett in a groove as a receiver

Aztecs Colin Lockett hauls in a 40 yard pass down near the goal line in the lst quarter during SDSU's football game against Boise State Saturday night at Qualcomm Stadium.
— Earnie Grafton / UT San Diego

Aztecs Colin Lockett hauls in a 40 yard pass down near the goal line in the lst quarter during SDSU's football game against Boise State Saturday night at Qualcomm Stadium.
— Earnie Grafton / UT San Diego

Colin Lockett is due: That’s the chatter around the San Diego State’s return teams as the Aztecs prepare for next week’s trip to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

San Diego State’s all-time leading return man, after all, has been held out of the end zone all year long. In the meantime, the 6-foot, 185-pound Lockett has reemerged in the passing game the latter half of the season to give Buffalo two legitimate downfield threats to scheme against.

“That’s just kind of what happens in football,” Lockett said. “Last year, I was in even more of a drought (in the passing game). … This year, I went down with that concussion (before the Nevada game) and we needed other receivers to step up. They did that and when I came back I was trying to get back into the swing of things with (quarterback Quinn Kaehler).”

Consider Lockett up to speed these days.

While junior Ezell Ruffin has emerged as the team’s lone 1,000-yard receiver, it’s been Lockett who has been finding the end zone with regularity of late, scoring as a receiver in four straight weeks to help the Aztecs land in their school-record fourth consecutive bowl game.

That run started with a 14-yard touchdown reception that cut San Jose State’s lead to 20-12 just before the end of the first half. All told, Lockett hauled in six passes for 90 yards in a comeback win on the heels of producing 62 yards on eight catches the previous three games, although some drops factored in the muted production.

During that same stretch, Kaehler and Ruffin connected for 454yards and three scores on 23 hook-ups.

Not that Lockett – who finished his junior year with 293 receiving yards after a breakout 970 as a sophomore – had been sweating that development.

His time was coming. That much he was sure of.

“It was exciting to watch, honestly,” Lockett said. “You run your route and you see their connection and how it had grown over the season and how Ezell had some big chunks of yards. Then you’re seeing how Quinn was progressing in the latter part of the season and seeing him go through his reads and the next thing you know I’m getting some deep balls, some slants, all those types of plays. It was good.”

Indeed it was.

Colin Lockett catching on ... again

Opponent

Rec.

Yds.

Lg.

TDs

Eastern Illinois

8

98

21

0

at Ohio State

6

58

18

0

Oregon State

5

113

80

1

At New Mexico St.

2

10

6

0

Nevada (Injured - DNP)

at Air Force

3

29

16

0

Fresno State

0

0

0

0

New Mexico

5

33

10

0

at San Jose State

6

90

32

1

at Hawaii

4

106

56

1

Boise State

3

61

40

1

at UNLV

7

98

39

1

Lockett hauled in a 56-yard scoring pass en route to a season-high 106 yards in a comeback win over Hawaii the next week and redeemed a costly lost fumble on a kickoff against Boise State with the game-winning touchdown grab in overtime.

It was a play that Lockett HAD to make. He told himself as much as he headed to the sideline as the Broncos looked to go up 21-14 late in the third quarter.

No sulking. Just a promise: Make a play.

“I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason,” said Lockett, a defensive back-turned-receiver who has carved out a noteworthy career at the lone school that offered him a scholarship. “ … I took it upon myself that I had to make it up for my team. If I want to be the vocal leader that I am, I can’t be the one fumbling the ball.”